Congressional Members Drum Up Support for EU Dairy Barrier Removal Through TTIP
The U.S. dairy industry faces a $1.3 billion trade deficit with the European Union (EU) due to persistent protectionist policies that should be dismantled in Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, say lawmakers in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. The letter continues to circulate in the House. There is currently no target date for submission, said a spokesman for Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., one of the letter's lead sponsors.
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On average, European dairy tariffs are three times the U.S. duties on dairy products, said the letter, adding that the EU does not permit U.S. dairy access through tariff rate quota. Moreover, U.S. companies face comparatively burdensome certificate requirements for access to the EU market, said the letter. “Dairy farmers and companies in our districts are also deeply concerned by the EU’s global efforts to impose restrictions on the use of many common food names under the guise of geographical indication (GI) regulations,” said the lawmakers. “The EU’s abuse of GIs threatens U.S. sales and exports of a number of U.S. agricultural products, but pose a particular concern to the use of dairy terms.” Nearly half of the Senate in an early April letter requested the Obama administration demand removal of the GI regulations through a TTIP agreement (see 14040906).
Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the letter.